So long, Ray. But let’s talk about your replacement on the Oak Park village board. It is a political parlor game with Village President Anan Abu-Taleb playing the lead part. But there are other moving parts, too.
In three weeks, Ray Johnson will resign from the board after 11 years because his job takes him to New York. At some point soon, Abu-Taleb will recommend the appointment of Johnson’s replacement to the village board. That board gets to nod-in with a vote, but really this is the president’s pick. In 14 months, the new board member will stand for election. If things go Abu-Taleb’s way, and lately they have been, the new person will run alongside Bob Tucker and Adam Salzman, Anan’s clearest board allies. A sweep by that trio — possibly with the blessing of the VMA — will strongly solidify the president’s position.
We get that Abu-Taleb will choose a person with business acumen, who shares his sense of urgency to make village government hum at a higher pitch. And we support the notion of simply picking the best person.
We must note, however, that this board currently has a single woman in place. That needs to be a factor in the choice.
